Alton Limited
The Alton Limited was the Chicago & Alton Railway’s flagship inter-city train between Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri. It began service in 1899 and was re-equipped in 1905 and again in 1924. The name and service ended in November 1971.
The train operated over about 284 miles (457 km). It used standard gauge tracks and began with steam locomotives, starting in 1903 with 4-6-2 Pacific engines. By 1905 the line offered a six-car, daily, maroon-and-gold train nicknamed “The Red Train.” Its six-car consist included an RPO car, a combine, a coach, a diner, and two Pullman parlor cars, one of which was an observation car. The cars were lavishly appointed, and the train was advertised as “The Only Way” and “The Most Beautiful Train In America.” The 90-foot Chicago observation parlor car featured a Japanese tea room and a library.
In 1913, the last Brooks/ALCO P-5 Pacific engines were delivered. Two six-car train sets were re-equipped in 1924 at a cost of about $1 million, highlighting the line’s prestige.
After World War II, the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) acquired the Alton in 1947. GM&O replaced the steam locomotives with diesel-electric engines and switched to lightweight, streamlined cars. The GM&O used a maroon-and-red livery similar to the Alton’s and dropped the “Alton” name from the train in 1958, simply calling it The Limited.
When Amtrak took over passenger rail service in May 1971, it initially kept The Limited running. In November 1971, Amtrak extended the route north to Milwaukee and renamed the service the Prairie State. The service was eventually shortened back to Chicago and later became the Lincoln Service.
Model railroading notes: O-scale models of the Alton Limited’s Pacific locomotives and passenger cars were produced by Lionel, MTH, and K-Line. K-Line released a 6-car heavyweight set modeled on the 1924 equipment, and Rivarossi offered an HO version with steam or diesel power.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:14 (CET).